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That dream is surely one of the many touches that defied A. O. Scott’s understanding; if he and other reviewers had not surrendered their good critical senses, they would have understood it to be a mark of the movie’s witlessness. Instead, in a near-comic parallel with Scientology followers, the critics who have fallen all over themselves praising The Master find its nonsensical narrative simply another excuse to express their “reverent, astonished belief” in this colossal creative failure.

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary, is The Weekly Standard’s movie critic.